Читать книгу Birds of New Hampshire & Vermont Field Guide - Stan Tekiela - Страница 23

winter

breeding

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

YEAR-ROUND

Size:	7½" (19 cm)
Male:	Gray-to-black bird with white speckles in fall and winter. Shiny purple black during spring and summer. Long, pointed yellow bill in spring turns gray in fall. Short tail.
Female:	same as male
Juvenile:	similar to adult, gray brown in color with a streaked chest
Nest:	cavity; male and female line cavity; 2 broods per year
Eggs:	4-6; bluish with brown markings
Incubation:	12-14 days; female and male incubate
Fledging:	18-20 days; female and male feed young
Migration:	non-migrator to partial; some will move to southern states
Food:	insects, seeds, fruit; will come to seed and suet feeders
Compare:	Similar to Common Grackle, but lacks its long tail. The male Brown-headed Cowbird is the same size, but it has a brown head and longer tail.

Stan’s Notes: A great songster, this bird can mimic other birds and sounds. Often displaces woodpeckers, chickadees and other cavity-nesting birds. Can be very aggressive and destroy eggs or young of other birds. Jaws are designed to be the most powerful when opening; the birds can pry crevices apart to locate hidden insects. Bill changes color with the seasons: yellow in spring, gray in autumn. Gathers in the hundreds in autumn. Not a native bird, it was introduced to New York City in 1890-91 from Europe.